22 years later
by AlmostInsane13
Summary: Set 22 years after Mockingjay. Gale comes to district twelve for the first time since he moved to district two. Peeta and Katniss have three kids: Prim 7  Mitch named for Haymitch  5  and Rue 2. This is my first fanfic, please review!
1. Letters

**Hunger Games Fanfic**

**Katniss POV**

"Katniss!" a familiar voice shouts. I look over in the direction of the voice, _that can't be who I think it is… no, it's not him…_

"Catnip!"

_ It is! Gale!_ At first I am overjoyed, I didn't think I'd ever see him again, _Gale… my Gale!_

And then the joy disappears just as fast as it came and is replaced with anger… _How dare him! Coming here now, after more than twenty years, without so much as a letter or phone call! And he just shows up in my front yard without any warning? Using my old nickname too! I hate him, I literally hate his guts,_ screams my mind…

but then a little, tiny part of me says, _Gale, I love you! Where have you been?_ And longs to hug him and never let go. But the anger is much bigger than the tiny bit of love.

He comes closer. I see his mouth move but I can't hear anything he says, because my mind is spinning so fast.

"Katniss?" he says, snapping me out of it, "Are you okay?" he sounds genuinely concerned.

"Gale… What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I came to see you, I'm sorry it took so long. My job is great but it doesn't pay much and train tickets are expensive, and they had to rebuild them after the Capital's firebombs and everything…" he stopped, probably realizing that he was rambling.

"So why didn't you call? Don't you know my number?" I ask sounding slightly demanding, as I realized later.

"I did call, a lot. But no one ever answered… it said that I was, 'Unable to call this number' for some reason," he answers. "

Well you could have written to me, you know, a letter or two? Or were stamps too expensive?" I say the last part in a very rude mocking voice, but I'm too angry to care at this point.

"Katniss," he says sounding concerned, "I wrote you all the time! You answered me a few times, so I know you got them, you can't deny it."

My mind was spinning again. _Letters? He's a liar. What if he did write me? Who got the letters? What did they say?_

This time I snap out of it when a little hand tugs on my skirt. I pick up my little girl and hold her for a minute, "Aw, who's this?"Gale asks her in a sweet voice.

"Rue," she says, and then she gets down and goes inside.

"Gale, come inside and sit down," I say and hold the door open for him.

We go in and I sit in my recliner, while Gale takes a seat on the couch beside my chair. He takes in the room and the photos on the walls. His face turns pale and tired looking, he gets up and slowly walks along the wall staring at the photographs. He eventually comes and sits back down, I look at his face, his cheeks and forehead are ghostly pale, and his eyes are empty.

"I… You're… married to… P-Peeta… Katniss…" my anger disappears, _Oh my god… He's holding back tears… Gale never cries… _

"Katniss… You have… _kids…_ three… beautiful kids… Katniss" his voice breaks at the end and so does my heart.

"Oh, Gale… I'm so sorry… I thought you knew… I sent you a wedding invitation, and Holiday cards from the kids and Peeta and me… didn't you get them?" He shakes his head, and buries his face in his hands, seeming like he just lost everything he'd been living for.

Just then Primrose walks in holding Rue's hand, "Mommy, Who's that?" Prim whispers in my ear, pointing at Gale.

"He's a friend that I haven't seen in a long time. Why don't you go see Uncle Haymitch and show him your new book?" I tell her. She smiles and goes out the door clutching Rue's hand in one of her hands and a book in the other.

Gale looks up at me, "Uncle Haymitch? He's not drunk right now?" I shake my head, "No, he quit drinking nine years ago, right before I had Primrose." Gale manages a strained smile, "Good for him."

He stands up, without thinking I jump up and hug him. We stand there, in a hug for at least two minutes. I rest my head on his shoulder. He's at least six inches taller than me. And then I think, _what would Peeta say if he saw me here with Gale? _I gently pull away from him and ask if he's thirsty, he nods and I go into the kitchen to pour some tea for both of us.

When I sit back down Gale says, "Where is he?"

"Who?" I ask and then realize who he means, "Peeta? Oh, he took Mitch to see his friend, his dad's friends with Peeta." We sit in silence for a while, until Gale breaks it, "Why Katniss? Why would you lie to me? I know you got my letters. I have them in my bag at the motel… All of them."

I shake my head, "Gale, I don't know who those letters are from but, it's not me…"

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><p><strong>That's the end of this chapter, I'll post the next chapter as soon as I finish it. Please review!<strong>


	2. A Talk With Haymitch

**Sorry it took so long, but here it is! And thanks for the reviews! I'm hoping to see more of them this time! :D**

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><p><em><strong>Chapter II: A talk with Haymitch<strong>_

_**Peeta POV**_

"Mitch," I say, "Are you ready to go yet?" Mitch groans, "Daaad…"

"Daaad!" I mimick.

"Fine, bye Jake, bye Jake's dad," he shouts, walking out the door.

"Seeya, Bill," I wave. We start the short walk home.

Almost halfway home I hear Katniss' voice across the street. "Hey, Kat-" I say as I look over, "niss…" I finish softly, dumbfounded by what I see.

She's standing outside the new hotel talking to _Gale_! _Of all people! Gale!_ I can't think straight. _Gale. Why not someone, anyone, but Gale?_ I walk faster. _Haymitch. I have to talk to Haymitch._

"Haymitch!" I say, relieved when he opens the door.

"What?" he groans when I come in.

"Well hello to you too," I say sitting down on his couch.

Rue walks in right after Mitch sits down, "Play!" she squeals and pulls him into the other room, "Haymitch," I say, "Do you know where Katniss went?"

He sees my worried expression. "Its fine, Bread Boy. She said she had to go do something, I dunno, mumbled something about letters."

"No…" I groan. _No… no, this is not how it was supposed to happen! No!_ I can't believe this… "Haymitch?" I say cautiously, "Can I tell you something?" "If you must," he sighs.

"Okay," says Haymitch, "So, Gale sent letters to Katniss…"

"Yeah."

"And you answered them, pretending to be her. And she didn't even know?"

"Well, yeah. But I was scared… of losing her. I mean if she had gotten that first letter she probably would have fled to District Two!"

"Seriously," Haymitch shakes his head, "I'm living inside a soap-opera."

"Really, Haymitch…" I sigh, desperately, "Help me. Please!" I choke back a sob.

"_Baby_" Haymitch mutters disgustedly, under his breath, and hits me on my back. "Nice job, kid. You're on your own, though," he smiles, "I have a date tonight."

I manage a smile; the idea of Haymitch on a date is laughable. If your heart isn't about to be ripped out and stomped on by the love of your life, who is about to leave you for her old hunting buddy that she hasn't talked to in twenty-two years.

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><p><strong>Sorry its so short, but I hope you liked it! :D<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it took so long, but it's here, soooo... read!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

**Katniss POV**

"Gale, come on!" I plead, "Please?"

"Katniss, I can't."

"Please?"

"No."

"Yes!"

"Fine…"

"Yes! Thank you!"

I give him a quick hug and we start walking home. I have _finally _convinced him to come have dinner with us.

**Gale POV**

Okay, I gave in. I did not want to go to her house. I mean, Peeta has to be home by now.

She didn't send the letters. I could see it in her eves, she was shocked. She didn't know anything about it.

What if… No. No, Peeta wouldn't do that. Would he? No, I decide. He's better than that, I think…

We're almost there. I can't believe how much District 12 has changed. Monuments are all over the place, as they should be.

There is one in front of what used to be Madge's house, three statues- Madge, her mom, and her dad- holding three fingers to their lips. It brings fond memories of my childhood, as short as it was in the seam.

The road to Katniss and Haymitch's houses is appropriately named Tribute Street. Along the road are signs, each one commemorating a tribute from District 12, girls on the left side, guys on the right.

The schools are named Mockingjay -High, , Elementary, and Preschool.

We're here. Katniss opens the door. I look towards the kitchen, Peeta is baking, Mitch, Rue, and Prim are watching TV.

A pang of guilt stabs my gut. I shouldn't be here, with this perfect little family. I don't belong here.

No, I do belong here. I should be in the kitchen, helping Katniss cook something she and I caught together in the woods and- no, stop.

Don't think like that. It's not fair to Katniss, or Peeta, or the kids. But… No.

Katniss takes my bag and hangs it on a rack by the door. "Sit down," she says softly, gently. I sit down on the couch beside her and look at the walls once more.

It's too much. I stare at the floor, my stomach in knots. I hear a loud bump near the door and we all look over.

An orange kitten is standing on the top of the rack and my bag is on the floor, an envelope has fallen out. "Butterbutt!" Katniss blushes, "Prim and Mitch named her that."

Peeta's head jerks toward me. He glares at me, than at the bag, then at me.

He sets down the icing bag he was holding and walks quickly to the door, mumbling and shaking his head. Peeta pulls a jacket on and slams the door shut.

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><p><strong>I hope you liked it! :D please review! :D<strong>


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